OUR FATHER WHO RESPONDS TO OUR FAITH

The book of Mark Chapter 6 verses 1 - 2 says this;

 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

Jesus had been at Capernaum where some momentous events had occured. The man with a withered arm had been healed; the woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of Jesus' cloak and was healed; Jairus' twelve year old daughter had been raised from the dead. 

Jesus had even gone on a side-mission to Genasseret to cast many evil spirits out of a demon-possessed man.

Now, Jesus returned to His home town with His disciples and on the Sabath, taught at the synagogue. 

The people were amazed and they began to question where He got His wisdom and ability to do His astonishing miracles.

They remembered Jesus, the son of Mary, working as a carpenter among them and they knew His brothers and sisters. They became offended at him as Mark chapter 6 verse 3 says;

Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

After that, not many miracles could be done in the town and Jesus was Himself amazed at the lack of faith. 

Mark chapter 6 verses 4 - 6 reads this way;

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.

May we always honor the Lord and may our faith be ever growing in expectation at the amazing power of God so that His miracles flourish in our midst.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO SEARCHED FOR US

I SING TO THANK YOU LORD

WHOM I HAVE ADORED

FOR YOU MADE A WAY FOR ME

I STUMBLED IN THE NIGHT

THEN I SAW YOUR LIGHT

YOU, O LORD, CAME BACK FOR ME (X 2)

YOU ARE THE GOOD SHEPHERD

YOU KNOW ME BY NAME 

YOU SEARCHED TILL YOU FOUND ME

WHEN I WAS LOST AND AFRAID (X 2)

 OUR FATHER WHO PROVIDES FOR US.

1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 13 - 14 say this;

Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

The Apostle Paul, in this passage, demonstrates that the scriptures show that the ministers of the gospel of the Lord should earn a living preaching the gospel in the same way that temple priests in the old covenant earned a share of what was offered that the temple.

Even though Paul was indicating that it was good and proper for ministers to receive a living for their work, he himself exempted himself from this right so that he could  preach the gospel at no cost to the hearers and the gospel was in no way hindered.

He supported himself by the work of his own hands and to him, it was his boast that he was not supported in his ministry by others but rather that he supported himself for the work of the ministry.

Bless the Lord for the leeway he gives us serve in His kingdom as full-time ministers or as working servants of the Lord who provide for their own living.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO LIFTS US OUT OF DESPAIR  AND ONTO SOLID GROUND

Genesis chapter 41 verse 30 says this;

but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.

This verse records the words of Joseph that he  spoke to Pharaoh to explain the meanings of Pharaoh's two dreams.

Pharaoh described his first dream as seven fat cows grazing by the river Nile then 7 scrawny cows emerged and ate the fat ones.

The second dream was that a stalk with seven healthy heads of grain was devoured by a stalk with seven thin and scorched heads of grain.

Joseph, having been given insight by the Lord, revealed that the two dreams were pointing to the same thing. Seven good years of agricultural production were going to begin and then they would be followed by seven years of severe famine.

Interestingly, Joseph also revealed in verse 32, that the fact that there were two forms of the same revelation meant that God had firmly decided on this course of history and that it would begin very soon.

Joseph laid out a plan for Egypt to survive the severe famine by using the seven good years to store up the food required for the seven bad years.

Pharoah, when looking for the person he could put in charge of implementing the survival plan, quickly realised that Joseph, the one who revealed the meaning of the dream and the plan of mitigating its effects, was the correct person to place in charge of the resources of Egypt .

It was this that took Joseph from a prison cell to the highest administrative office in Egypt under Pharaoh himself.

As Psalm 40 verse 2 says;

He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO PROVIDES A WAY OF ESCAPE

James chapter 1 verses 13 - 15 says this;

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

This passage is a sobering expression of what happens when we let our evil desires entice us away from the path of righteousness.

We are subjected to temptation so that a desire is conceived in our hearts. The result of this conception in our hearts is that sin is birthed in our body and if that sin is let to grow to maturity, it will give birth to death.

We always need the help of the Lord to resist temptation for even when the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. He always provides a way of escape as it says 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 13;

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Thus we must call upon the Lord for His provision of help so that we may remain on the narrow path that leads to life.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO GRANTS US FAVOUR WITH GOD AND WITH MEN EVEN IN THE MIDST OF TRIALS 

Genesis chapter 39 verses 1 - 4 says this;

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.

We leave Canaan behind to continue with the story of Joseph who was sold by his brothers to passing traders on their way to Egypt.

Joseph arrived in Egypt with his feet bruised by shackles and his neck in irons  which is described in Psalm 105 verse 18. 

He was sold to an Egyptian official named Potiphar who was the captain of the guard to Pharaoh.

Joseph was blessed by the Lord in all that he did in Potiphar's house and Potiphar, seeing that the Lord was with Joseph, made him his attendant and put everything in his household under his care. He entrusted him with everything he owned.

The Lord, with Joseph's destiny in mind, let Joseph undergo the trial of slavery and then used that venue to incrementally increase his responsibilities until he was administrating Potiphar's entire household. 

Joseph was severely tested when he was falsely accused of assaulting his master's wife and was thrown in prison but the Lord, having tested and prepared Joseph, put him on a path that would take him from his prison cell to the head administrator of all of Egypt.

The Lord gave Joseph favor so that even in slavery and imprisonment, he still rose to fulfil his destiny that was set for him.

Bless the Lord who grants us favor with God and with men.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO ASSIGNS TO US SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS AND INHERITANCES

Joshua chapter 19 verses 3 - 4 lists 6 towns as some of the areas that were allotted to the tribe of Simeon. 

Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,

In total, Simeon was allotted 17 towns along with their villages. In the case of Simeon, all of the territory allotted to them lay entirely within the territory that had already been allotted to the tribe of Judah.

It was determined that Judah had been assigned more territory than they were able to use and thus the territory sectioned off for the tribe of Simeon's inheritance was taken out of Judah's portion.

Upon receiving spiritual allotments, we must seek to occupy them fully and leverage them to gain strength in the spirit through sowing into them and reaping harvests of righteousness  from them. 

If left to lie fallow, these allotments may be assigned to others and the inheritances may fall to those to whom they are re-assigned to.

Amen.